FAIRFAX, Va. (March 17, 2021)-Morgan State took to the road for the first time this season on Wednesday afternoon and brought its five-game winning streak to unbeaten George Mason for a non-conference doubleheader at the George Mason Softball Complex.
 
Meeting for the first time since 2010, unfortunately, the Lady Bears would drop both contests, falling to the Patriots 6-0 and 8-0 (5 innings).
 
George Mason improved to 8-0, while Morgan State had its five-game winning streak snapped and fell to 5-3 on the season.
 
Morgan State was out hit 14-8 and left a combined 13 runners on base in the two games.  
 
The Lady Bears will look to regroup this weekend when they face rival the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) in a four-game home-and-home series. Morgan State will host the Retrievers in a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday, March 20 at Lois T. Murray Field starting at 2 p.m. The two teams will square off in a Sunday doubleheader at The Diamond at UMBC. First pitch is at noon.  
 
Game 1
George Mason finished the opening game scoring six runs on eight hits. Marlaina Bozek led the Patriots, going 3-for-3 with a run. Taylor Dadig and Haley Taormina each went 1-for-3 with a run and 2RBI.
 
Morgan State scattered six hits among six different batters. The Lady Bears finished the game leaving nine runners on base, including bases loaded in the seventh.
 
George Mason wasted no time taking control of the game, scoring five runs in the first inning and adding its sixth and final run in the second.
 
Dadig singled up the middle to drive in the game's first two runs and Taormina hit a triple to bring in two more runs. Taormina later scored when Amber Verstynen grounded out at short to make it a 5-0 game. The Patriots added their last run in the second inning, when Rachel Warrens doubled to left field to score Haellie Gordon for the sixth and final run of the game.
 
The Lady Bears' best scoring opportunity came in the top of the seventh, when Damishah Charles walked to load the bases. However, George Mason pitching prevented any damage by striking out the next Morgan batter to preserve the shutout.
 
Gordon, who earlier in the week was named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week, improved to 4-0 with the win. She allowed three hits in 4.0 innings pitched and had a game-high four strikeouts. Gordon also went 1-for-2 at the plate with a run scored and a strikeout.
 
Morgan State's Mikayla Barnard (3-1), who entered the contest coming off being named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week, suffered her first loss of the season. Barnard was charged with six runs on five hits, two walks and no strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work.
 
Game 2
George Mason broke a scoreless game with two runs in the third inning, before erupting for six more runs in the fifth inning for the final score.
 
Warrens singled through the left side to bring in two runs and give the hosts the 2-0 lead. The Patriots led 5-0 in the fifth when pinch hitter Annie Villalobos entered the game and homered to bring in the final three runs.
 
Warrens finished the game going 2-for-3 at the plate with a run and game-high 3RBIs. Villalobos also drove in three runs and scored a run, following her 1-for-1 performance at the plate with a homerun. Meghan Graham recorded 2RBIs on a hit and scored twice.
 
Carly Cooper, who pitched a complete game for the Patriots, improved to 1-0 on the season with the win. Cooper finished the game with throwing three strikeouts and allowing two hits in five innings.
 
Annissa Dorres and Charles each went 1-for-2 at the plate to account for the Lady Bears' two hits. Stephanie Rundlett (2-2) recorded two strikeouts in four innings of work.    

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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 126 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.